


If Only it Happened This Way

by TheCrimsonLetter



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-03
Updated: 2017-03-25
Packaged: 2018-03-05 02:53:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3102827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCrimsonLetter/pseuds/TheCrimsonLetter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Short stories set in an alternate universe where Tom Riddle never became a dark wizard, instead meeting an exceptional witch who was his intellectual equal and became his redemption.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The fire crackled comfortingly, illuminating a soft orange glow amidst the imposing shadows of the richly decorated common room. Exhaling in relief, Tom shrugged off his dark robes and sank onto the nearest couch. It was unlike him to leave his texts and scrolls unpacked, but he justified this neglect by viewing it as a reward for the restraint he had been forced to exercise earlier that day. Tom could hardly believe that the impudent fifth-year had dared to challenge his decision on the winter dance. Him, Tom Riddle, Head Boy of Hogwarts. If he hadn’t been afraid of losing his position, he would have hexed that stupid boy for his insolence.

Tom glanced around the room leisurely, grimacing slightly at the jarring contrast between the golden drapes and the dark green upholstery. Although it was a relief to escape from the useless chatter and obsequious flattery of the young Slytherins, he did occasionally miss the dignified colour scheme of his former common room. As Tom pondered this interesting thought, he was disrupted by the very person responsible for the sacrifice of aestheticism. 

Hermione Granger strode into the room, her wizarding robes and untamable locks billowing wildly. Muttering under her breath, she pointed her wand at the door, which immediately swung shut to block out the drafty air. Barely giving a glance to the boy lounging on the coach, she dropped her bag onto the table before pacing in agitation, occasionally causing sparks to flicker around the room. 

“Is something the matter?” Tom inquired neutrally. Hermione whirled around to glare at him. “Of course not, I enjoy being upset for no reason whatsoever!” she snapped scathingly. Resuming her pacing, she ignored him for a few moments before dropping onto the couch beside him with a sigh. The two of them stared into the vibrant flames, the vestiges of her ire ringing between them. 

Unnerved by the prolonged silence, Hermione glanced up at Tom before reaching over to grasp his hand tentatively. “It’s just that the prefects refuse to pay attention at our meetings even though the dance is in two weeks and none of the preparations are ready. It’s completely infuriating.”

Suppressing the urge to form an indifferent expression, Tom turned around slowly. He had long learned that his facades had no effect on Hermione and that they would only lead to a lecture on the disadvantages of internalizing emotions. A mere month ago, he would have cursed her for such an outburst but he now found her passionate comments amusing. He could even tolerate the disrespect because it was a refreshing change from the combination of sycophantic admiration and palpable mistrust that he was all too familiar with.

“I nearly hexed a fifth-year today for being a presumptuous nuisance.” 

Hermione beamed at him, as though he had told her that he had helped to free a house-elf.

“You said nearly. So you didn’t curse him!” 

There was a flicker of uncertainty in Tom’s eyes as he struggled to decide what to say. It still chafed that he had to let that boy go unpunished, but if he admitted this to Hermione, she would frown at him in that disapproving manner that somehow made him feel uncomfortable.

Still pondering his options, Tom was shocked to feel Hermione throw her arms around his shoulders, embracing him in a close hug. He tensed instinctively at the unexpected contact, but Hermione didn’t seem to notice. Instead, she brushed his cheek with the tips of her fingers, gently nudging him to look at her before whispering that she was proud of him.

Tom was confused by the strange emotion he felt, but he decided he could analyze it later. Cautiously, he placed an arm around Hermione, returning her embrace. He noted with satisfaction that he must have done that right, since Hermione was smiling at him. He held her close, simply savoring the moment and the unique sensation. 

“Hermione?” he asked quietly.  
“Yes, Tom?” her voice was tinged with curiosity.

“For that dance…would you like to attend with me?”  
He couldn’t possibly be asking what she thought he was asking. She must be misunderstanding him.

“But we’re already going together, since we have to open the dance as the Head Boy and Girl.”

Tom was silent for a moment. “I’m asking if you would like to go with me. Isn’t there a difference?”

After hesitating to confirm that she really did hear him correctly this time, Hermione hastened to respond.  
“Oh yes, Tom. There most certainly is a difference, and I would be delighted to attend the dance with you.” 

Unknowingly breaking into a broad, genuine smile, Tom thought to himself that perhaps it wasn’t such a pity that he wasn’t able to curse that stupid boy.


	2. Birthday surprise

It was a Saturday afternoon and Hermione was curled up on an armchair in the Hogwarts library beside her favorite window. The light streamed through the stained glass, illuminating the pages of her book. She had seen the novel in the Hogsmeade bookstore and bought it for herself as an early birthday gift. Although after five books this week that justification was getting flimsy…

It wasn’t her fault that so many of her favorite authors came out with new books at the same time! Plus she rarely bought things so she can splurge on books once in a while. 

Satisfied at her reasoning, Hermione dived into the next chapter, turning the pages at an increasingly rapid pace. The story was fascinating, tracing the adventures of a cursebreaker who helped to establish the Ministry of Magic. Although fictional, the novel included meticulous detail about the historical facts and gradual change in wizarding culture. 

Hermione’s fingers danced along the edge of the book as she reached the end of the engrossing passage. As she lifted the corner to turn the page, it slipped out of her grasp. And again when she tried a second time. She stared at the page in confusion as it now felt slippery and slimy. A chuckle sounded behind her and she jumped, turning to glare at the man in dark green robes. 

“You!” she accused, narrowing her eyes. Tom just smirked at her and shrugged with unapologetic amusement. “It was the only way to get your attention.”

Hermione huffed but secretly acknowledged that was probably true. But he didn’t need to be so smug about it! “What do you want?” she snipped at him. 

Tom sat down on the chair next to her and Hermione looked at him with suspicion. She put her book down and scrutinized his expression. 

“What are you so satisfied about?” Hermione questioned. His smirk was still there and his eyes were glinting with barely suppressed excitement. Her mind darted through a dozen possible scenarios, each more exasperating than the last. Last week she had to redecorate the entire hall after he turned all the holiday decorations into sinister snakes that terrified the first years. She had giving him a long scolding but he just laughed it off. 

“Tom…” Hermione said warningly. Instead of responding, he pulled her up from the armchair, sending her books into her bag with a sweep of his wand. Surprised, she followed as he walked briskly through the library and then down the corridor, toward the Room of Requirement? She watched with curiosity and a tinge of wariness as Tom paced in front of the hidden entrance, revealing the door to the Room.   
The room was dark with an intricately carved basin in the center, glowing with purple light. It was flanked by two stone serpents, with vials of the same purple liquid in their gaping jaws. Hermione rolled her eyes at his dramatics but Tom was already walking toward the stone basin. 

Hermione sighed and stepped forward as well, examining the basin more closely. She thought it was a Pensieve at first glance but the runes were wrong. Also the swirling liquid was purple instead of the turquoise blue that she had seen in the past. She looked at Tom expectantly, waiting for an explanation. 

Tom interlaced her fingers with his and stared at her with an uncharacteristically earnest expression, devoid of any sarcasm. “Trust me?” he murmured. Hermione nodded hesitantly and he waved his wand over the basin with elaborate patterns while chanting incantations under his breath. Hermione watched in fascination as the purple liquid bubbled and became transparent, with shimmery images dancing below the surface. 

Tom whispered “Happy birthday” before they plunged together into the Pensieve-like basin. Hermione blinked to clear her blurry vision and the landscape gradually came into view. She was standing in front of a hill with a dark forest in the distance. The scene was strangely familiar yet something was off. She took a tentative step forward and the air around her crackled with magical energy unlike anything she had felt before. 

A movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention and she gasped in awe. An imposing wizard with magnificent red robes was brandishing his wand in powerful strokes, his shining sword at his side. “Godric…” Hermione mused in wonder. His magic was directed toward the base of the hill, which roiled as it absorbed the energy and expanded toward the sky. 

On the far side of the hill she saw the other magnificent founders directly out of her favorite history book. Together they encircled the foundation of Hogwarts, casting spells to bring forth the ancient castle, unraveling its intricate corridors and endowing it with enduring secrets. The four currents of magic swirled and combined, forming the heart of the castle before tapering off on their own to create the unique features of their own like the Gryffindor Tower and the Slytherin dungeons. The castle was then adorned with elaborate furnishings as the majestic staircases and sculptures came into being. 

Godric and Rowena summoned their magic to surround the castle, creating strong wards to protect its inhabitants. Strands of shimmering energy fell over the turrets and towers of Hogwarts, encapsulating it in an intricate orb. Salazar cast his power at the base and large rocks emerged, elevating the castle up above the landscape. Helga waved her wand at the sloping plains in a circular motion and they transformed into the serene deep waters of the Black Lake. 

Hermione glanced over at Tom with wonder as her mind swirled with brimming questions. He just smiled at her with a self-satisfied look and gestured for her to take his hand. As their fingers clasped, the warm feel of his grip pulled her out of the surreal scene before her and she emerged from the Pensieve, gasping for air. 

“What was that?” she exclaimed after she could speak again. 

“Your birthday gift”, Tom responded with a grin. 

Hermione shook her head impatiently, muttering to herself as she paced around the basin that was still glowing. “Memories…imagination...history…” she mused aloud as she read the inscribed runes. 

Shocked, she jerked her head to stare at Tom with awe. “You changed the runes to recreate the past as if it were a memory.”

Tom nodded in affirmation but Hermione was already lost in thought. “Of course…history is just collective memory so you can form a realistic simulation of it by combining multiple accounts of the same event. All you would need is…”

Hermione trailed off as something occurred to her. “You must have chosen the formation of Hogwarts since there are so many descriptive sources. So many wizards have written about the event in detail so you were able to combine them into a single scene… ”

Tom wanted to sigh with exasperation. It amazed him how Hermione could figure out the how so quickly but not the why. Yes, of course it was easier to recreate one of the most celebrated events in the wizarding world but he could have chosen a hundred other options. 

She was the one who carried that damned book with her all the time – Hogwarts: A History. He was going to get her the first edition but a bloody professor had bought the last copy and he had promised Hermione that he wouldn’t hurt anyone unless in self-defense. Too bad stealing back a book probably didn’t count so he had to think of something else. 

Hermione actually gave him the idea a few weeks ago while they were having an engaging conversation about Pensieves. She had wondered if they could be used to reinforce repressed or altered memories. Tom had masked his excitement and quickly excused himself to go do more research on the topic. His findings had been encouraging, as there were records of Pensieve use for obfuscating painful memories or even exploring alternate realities. After that it was a simple matter of determining which runes to change and how to combine the necessary components to form a realistic scene. 

“Tom…” With his thoughts interrupted, he realized that Hermione was staring at him but instead of awe he saw…affection? 

“You chose the particular event for me,” she stated simply. 

Tom just looked at her, tracing her smile and committing it to his memory. 

Hermione then furrowed her brow and began in a serious tone. “You can’t use this to change memories Tom – only to improve understanding of the past.” 

Sometimes he forgot how well she knew him. Of course he had considered the more sinister applications for a moment but then he had brushed them aside. What was he going to do? Take over the wizarding world? He smirked at the thought but it didn’t hold much appeal as he already had everything he needed. 

“Dinner and then a duel?” Tom suggested. 

“If you can keep up with me,” Hermione winked at him with mischief as they walked to the Great Hall.


End file.
